Too Hot to Work!

Last summer, thousands of workers around British Columbia struggled under increasing extreme weather events such as wildfires, heat domes, and floods. The coming years will continue to see an increase in unsafe work conditions for precarious and marginalized workers on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

In the absence of climate protections in labour law, the task of keeping workers safe falls to workplaces and WorkSafe BC. Unfortunately, health and safety measures in the workplace are dated, rarely enforced, and ineffective. Current occupational health and safety measures doesn’t proactively limit workers’ exposure to heat stress to perform their jobs safely.

The B.C. government needs to act now and establish “too hot to work” protections within the Compensation Act for workers working indoors without air conditioning and for outdoor workers at high risk of heat stress, such as in the agricultural and construction sector.

• Ensure vulnerable, at-risk communities; including migrant workers and workers with disabilities are adequately protected during extreme heat
• Implement health and safety procedures including access to hydration, shade and cooling during above average heat temperatures
• Additional breaks for redress during extreme heat and heat domes, particularly for at-risk workers including outdoor workers, workers engaged in strenuous work, workers on 12 hour shifts, and workers required to wear heavy clothing or gear
• Access to PPE and thermometers to assist workers ins staying safe and assessing heat conditions at worksites
• A robust enforcement policy, including enforcement of heat assessment practices
• The conduction of 1000 workplace inspections relating to heat exposure, with a focus on complaints that came in during the 2021 heat dome